Stick handling mechanism



July 10, 1934.

M. scHNAn-:R

STICK HANDLING MECHANISM 3 Sheetsv-Shet l Original Filed Jan. 3, 1931Je@ ATTORNEYS Juym, 1934. M. scHNAn-:R

STICK HANDLING MECHANISM y Original Filed Jan. 3, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2i limi mm INVENTOR B Y QQQQM, S34/Lo ATTOR N EY y zal .July l0, 19,34.M. Scl-INNER 1,966,048

STICK 'HANDLING MECHANI SM Original Filed Jan. 3, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.59 f4 n J8 f5 56 lNvENToR ATTORNEYS l rBiS `Patented July 10, 1934vUNITED STATES STICK HANDLING MECHANISM Milton Schnaier, New York, N. Y.

Application January 3, 1931,

Renewed November Serial No. 506,373

9 Claims. (Cl. 1117-8) My present invention while developed primarily asan instrumentality to expedite the manufacture of handled frozenconfections of the Igeneral type shown in the prior patent to Frank W.Ep- 3 person, No. 1,505,592 August 19, 1924, is in its broader aspectsof more general application.

An object of the invention is to facilitate the manufacture of handledfrozen confections of the above type by reducing the labor cost andcxpediting the speed of production, to render the product moreattractive and more uniform by -assuring the accurate centering of thesticks or other handle members and maintaining the latter from tiltingor buoying displacement, and to renl5l der the production more sanitaryby eliminating the likelihood of the operatives handling theconfections.

Another object is to provide apparatus for accomplishing the aboveobjects, which apparatus shall be of relatively inexpensive, simple,practical, rugged, and durable yet light and portable construction,capable of convenient operation with little effort by unskilledoperatives, unlikely to jam or otherwise get out of order, substantiallydevoid of mechanism requiring lubrication, and

capable of convenient cleaning to maintain the high sanitary standarddesired.

Another more specific object is to facilitate the removal of the frozenconfections from their molds without the waste and breakage incurred indumping the same and without the likelihood of stick or confectionbreakage incurred in individually pulling them from the molds.

A feature of the invention is the use of a handle I retainer fordisposing of the various sticks or other handles for the contents of onemulti-compartment mold in xed correctly co-ordinated relation withrespect to the mold cavities.

Preferably the handle retainer is of contour ,4g such as to t accuratelyin the top of a multicompartment mold with the sticks projectingdownward into the mold cavities and gripped and correctly centered bythe retainer with respect tothe individual confections to be frozen, sothat upon completion of the freezing the retainer may be lifted from themold, with the confections bonded to the lower ends ofl the sticks, andthe sticks with the confections bonded thereto may thereupon be releasedfrom the retainer. A feature of the stick retainer is the use of ametallic holder frame presenting guides for'the various sticks orhandles and an auxiliary gripper structure associated therewith andcoordinated for displacement relative thereto, to cause releasablegrippingof'the sticks or handles at the guides therefor. v 1 r Anotherfeature is the specific application of 'the invention in' connectionwith at'sticks preferably used in the confections referred to, and eolmore particularly in the engagement of the gripping edges with the thewidth of the flat sticks.

Another feature is the arrangement of upstanding sockets or funnels intowhich the sticks may be conveniently delivered by an automatic stickfeeder, in itself not a part f this invention, and the transverseslotting of such funnels at the llevel'of the gripper structure topermit entry of the stick gripping edge.

Another feature is the track guiding arrangement of the gripperstructure, on the holder frame, the former presenting pushing edgesforcing each of the sticks against the wa'll of the holder cavity.

Another feature is the shifting means for moving the gripping structurealong the holder frame,

and embodying a single cam, or toggle transmission, effective to lockthe gripping edges in operative relation.

The depth to which the sticks enter the mold cavities according toanother feature is pregauged in suitable manner.

For setting the sticks in position the handle retainer is mounted on adepth gauging frame and positioned in the retainers and permitted togravitate until the bottoms thereof strike the gauge surface, whereuponthe gripper member is locked.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristics ofthis invention will be -particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

the invention itself, as to its objects-and advantages, the mode of itsoperation and the manner of its organization may be better understoodbyreferring to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 'is a topplan view of the arrangement embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 isa section taken on line 2 2, of Fig. 1 and showing the grippingmember of the device in released position with respect to the sticks,

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, but showing the gripping elementsin engaging position with respect tothe sticks, and the device mountedin thickness rather than with cooperative relationship with a multiplemold as bar 10 or 10a and has associated therewith athe presentinvention, there is provided a main or holdervframe structure whichpreferably takes ,the form of two pairs of longitudinally extending bars10 and 10a disposed in parallel spaced relationship and interconnectedby means of a pair of transversely extending bars 11 at the oppo- 'siteends thereof. The holder frame is preferably provided with handles tofacilitate carrying the same, and for that purpose, the ends of the bars11 are turned upward to form arms 12, each pair of which is connected bya handle rod 13. The holder frame structure may also be provided withsuitable standards, which in the specific construction shown, is formedby feet 14 turned down from the ends of the bars 10a.

For receiving the sticks which constitute the handle members the holderframe is preferably provided with upstanding tubular guide or funnelmembers 16, illustratively shown six in number equally spaced along thelength of each of the bars 10 and 10a. Thetubes are preferably of sheetmetal, preferably flared at their upper edges at 16a for facility ofinsertion of the sticks when delivered from an automatic stick feeder(not shown).

For use with the flat sticks 15, preferably employed as handle membersfor the frozen confections, the funnel or guide members arecorrespondingly flattened as shown and the flat faces thereof arepreferably aligned longitudinally of the various bars 10 and 10a.Theguide member preferably includes a pilot portion 18 extending througha corresponding aperture in the holder stiffening pin or rod 17,extending within the guide between and in contact with the two facesthereof and along one of the narrow edges and protruding through thelower end of the latter. The pin or rod 17 is soldered, brazed or weldedto form a unit with the tube, and the lower end ofthe rod and the pilotend of the tube are similarly attached to the holder bar 10 or 10a.

The sticks 15 are inserted in the guide tubes 16 and locked therein bymeans of gripping members operating collectively. These members aremounted upon a slidable frame carried by the holder frame structure, andwhich, in the specific form shown, includes a pair of longitudinallyextending bars 18 between each frame 10 and the adjacent frame bar 10aand interconnected together by means of transversely extending bars 19riveted thereto at 40. Each of the transverse bars 19 is disposedadjacent a transverse row of guide tubes 16. Clamped between each of thetransverse bars 19 and the longitudinal bars 18 is a gripping plate, baror blade 20 having the transversely extending edge thereof projectingbeyond the transversely extending edge of the corresponding bar 19 toprovide a relatively sharp gripping edge 21.

The longitudinal movement of the slidable frame structure along the mainframe structure serves to advance the gripping plates 20 into or out ofcooperative relationship with the guide tubes 16. These guide tubes haveopenings 22 preferably in a narrow side thereof and at the level ofgripping edge 21 thereby to permit the gripping edges 2l of the plates20 to engage contiguous narrow edges of the sticks 15 disposed therein.

The slidable gripper structure is guided in its longitudinal movementmore fully described hereinafter, by a cleat arrangement which includestwo pairs of oppositively disposed bars 31 and 32 connected by screws 33to the underside of two of the transversely extending bars 19. The bars3l are disposed in the same plane with the bars 10 and the bars 32 havethe ends thereof extending beyond the ends of said bars 31 to engage themarginal portions of the longitudinal bars 10, affording a limited trackguided movement of the gripper structure along the holder frame.

In order to effect the longitudinal movement of the slidable framestructure, the bars 18 have mounted at one corresponding pair of endsthereof brackets 23, which have connected thereto pins 24 extendingtowards each other. A bar 25 secured by screws 41 extends transverselyacross the middle pair of longitudinal bars 10, and has at the endsthereof brackets 26 preferably unitary therewith. Each of the brackets26 has pivotally connected thereto at 27 one of the arms of a handlebail comprising two arms or levers 28 interconnected by a handle rod 29.These levers 28 are provided with segmental slots 30 into which nextendthe pins 24, and said slots are eccentrically curved with respect to thepivot point 27, so that the movement of said levers in clockwisedirection, from the position shown in Fig. 2, serves By virtue of thesubstantial length of guide rest 17 the sticks are held in verticalrelation, and the relatively sharp edges of the gripper blades 20accommodate any non-conformity in the width of the sticks by pressingthereacross to greater or lesser extent in effecting the stick grippingengagement.

.In order to pregauge the depth to which the sticks enter the moldcavities there is provided a depth gauging frame of the same plandimensions as the multiple cavity mold. The depth gauge has a bottomwall 42 constituting a gauge surface, two upwardly extending end walls43, and angular offset flanges 44 and 45, flanges 45 being rolled orotherwise constructed to receive two longitudinally extending tie rods46. In mounting the sticks in spaced positions, the stick handlingapparatus is seated by resting its feet 14 upon the offset members 44,as shown in Fig. 2 so that the main frame structure is disposed insubstantially spaced parallel relationship with the surface 42. Thesticks 15 are then inserted into the tubes 16 either from an automaticstick feeder or by hand. The sticks will all bottom upon plate 42 of thegauge frame which thus determines the length which will enter the mold.

To lock the sticks in the fixed position shown in Fig. 3 the handle rod29 is shifted in clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 2,thereby moving the slidable frame member until the plates 20 enter therespective notches 22 and press the edges of the sticks 15. The cam slot30 as best shown in Fig. 3 thus locks/.the gripping structure ineffective position against corresponding pins 17 as above set forth. I

The stick handling device can now be raised by means of handles 13 andtransported with its sticks thus gripped into cooperative relationshipwith the multiple mold assembly 47, Fig. 3, for which the handlingdevice is adapted. The mold has cavities 48 rigidly mounted in anddepending from a base plate 49 and disposed in spaced relationshipcorresponding with the spaced relationship of the sticks in the stickretainer. The mold plate 49 has an upstanding flange 50 engaged by erframe.

the feet 14 as shown in Fig. 3, thereby accurately positioning the stickretainer to center the sticks in the respective molds. The protrusion ofeach stick having been pregauged, the sticks are thus immersed uniformlyin the body of the syrup, preferably'substantially -touching the bottomsof the mold cavities.

After the confections have been frozen to their respective sticks, themold is defrosted, preferably by dipping it for an instant into hotwater to loosen the bond between themold wall and the confections,whereupon the stick retainer frame is grasped by its handles 13 andlifted from oil the mold, in which operation the sticks and confectionsbonded thereto are removed as a unit from the mold. Each stick in thisoperation is lifted vertically, and the breakage resulting fromcarelessness in withdrawing individual sticks .by hand is obviated.

The stick retaining frame may be placed over an appropriate hopper orbag or basketl (not shown) and a simple-leftward movement of the handlerod 29 causes the gripping edges to pass out of the stick guide funnelsand to disengage the sticks, which thereupon with their confection headsbonded thereto drop by gravity intothe hopper bag or basket. lf desired,the confections may be automatically wrapped in the course of theirgravity drop as -disclosed and claimed for instance, in my copendingapplication Serial No.

453,896 filed May 20th, 1930.

The embodiment of Figs. 6 and 7 differs from that of the otherembodiment merely in the transmission between the handle member \and thestick gripper structure. The-side arms 52 of the handle bail in thisembodiment are pivoted at 53 in blocks 54, under instead of over thestick hold- Arms 52 are in the form of bell crank levers, the shorterarms 55 of which are pivotally connected. as at 56 to links 57 under theplate,

-the opposite ends of which links are pivotally connected at 58 to lugs59 aixed at 59 under the movable bars 18 of the gripper structure.

The latter embodiment is desirable inasmuch as the movement of thegripper structure is effected by a toggle action between bell crank arm55 and link 57, in` which even lest friction is exerted than in thecam-operated embodiment ofl Figs. l tof 5. The toggle when set affordsan eiective stick gripping lock, which however, is readily released whenhandle 52 is moved back to the right.

While the invention has its preferred application to the manufacture offrozen confections embodying handlev sticks as above set forth, featuresof the invention as defined in the broader claims are of more generalapplication to the manufacture of various types of articles includingice cream bonded to a stick, candy or other food products bonded to astick, and to the production of a wide range of other articles ofmanufacture in which a liquid is converted to a solid Within a mold anda protruding member such as a stick or handle is to be bonded inpredetermined position into the hardening mass during the hardeningthereof. l

The term stick as used in certain of the claims is not to be limitednecessarily to a splint ci wood, but embraces equivalent structures uponwhich the body of the article is bonded and which may serve as a handle.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described apparatus in whichthe several features of this invention are embodied, ,and whichapparatus in its action attains the various objects' of thev inventionand iswell suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

r As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madeWithout departingV from the scope thereof, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Pattubes xed upon said frame structure, saidguidetubes having aligned openings therein, a gripper bar disposed inparallelism with the row of guide tubes and mounted for sliding movementalong said skeleton frame structure and into the openings of the guidetubes to simultaneously lock all of the sticks therein.

3. A stick handling devi'ce including a skeleton frame comprising aplurality of spaced at rigidly connected longitudinally extending bars,means xed with respect t0 said frame for receiving a plurality ofindividual sticks in spaced relationship, a second skeleton framemounted for limiting sliding movement on the first frame and including apair of spaced connected longitudinally extending bars parallel with thebars of the rst frame, a plurality of transversely extending grippingmembers fixed on said sliding frame and means for moving said slideframe and thereby shifting 4the gripping members which it carries intoclamping engagement with sticks in the stick receiving means.

4. A stick handling device including a skeleton frame structure, slottedguide tubes mounted on said frame structure for receiving a plurality ofsticksin alined relationship, said sticks extending beyond the top ofsaid frame structure, a. gripping plate resting on said frame structure,and means for moving said plate in a direction transverse to thedirection of its length to cause it to enter said slots and engage thesticks just above the top of the frame structure.

v5. In combination, a skeleton frame bar structure, means for supportingsaid frame structure in substantially parallel spaced relation from agauge surface, a row of guide tubes in alined spaced relationship on theframe bars for receiving sticks, each of said guide tubes being providedwith an opening, said openings being in alined relationship, and each ofsaid guide tubes having a flared upper portion to facilitate thereception of the sticks, a gripping plate extending across the row ofalined guide tubes and mounted for sliding movement along said framebars, and means for moving said plate through the openings in said guidetubes to collectively lock i i .8. Stick handling apparatus comprising aholder frame and a gripper structure correlated therewith, a bell crankhandle member pivoted to said holder frame and vextending thereunder anda link connecting the end of said bell crank lever to said gripperframe, said gripper frame having a .track guiding movement .with respectto the handle frame.

. 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, and wherein certain bars oftheskeleton frame include bent under ends affording feet to support theframe.

MILTON SCHNAIER.

